Shorter check-out times?
Here’s an interesting trend that seems to be unfolding without much notice from the travel press: Hotels are turning back the clock on their required check-out times. It’s a classic win-win for a resort.
A refund for the dead?
When a friend dies suddenly, Bari Sedar takes on the task of dealing with airline tickets issued in the friend’s name. The tickets were purchased through Priceline, whose terms and conditions clearly state that they are nonrefundable and nonchangeable. Is there an exception for death?
Hurricane traveler warning
First, the good news: Ernesto is losing steam as it makes landfall, and it looks as if this won’t be the Big One, despite early indications that it might be.
Avoiding a mutiny
When you’re on a plane so often that your feet never seem to touch the ground, you notice little things that the typical passenger wouldn’t. Like the galleys.
Two for the road
Travel blogging looks easy. All you apparently need is a PC, an Internet connection and an opinion. But it really isn’t. Coming up with interesting new material every day is actually hard work. Keeping a good travel blog? That’s even more difficult.
Very bad customer service
It is one thing to gripe about a delayed flight or rude airline employees, as I frequently do on this blog. But the ultimate example of bad customer service is, without a doubt, being killed in a plane crash.
Hurricane Ernesto?
Almost 71 years to the day after the Labor Day Hurricane — the strongest hurricane on record to hit the United States — tore through the Florida Keys, are we about to get a Central Florida sequel? I hope not.
Strike averted (for now)
For several weeks now, I’ve been saying that Northwest Airlines probably won’t be crippled by a flight attendants’ strike. Looks as if I’m more or less right. A federal judge has ordered flight attendants to stay on the job, and has suggested that he may issue a permanent injunction against a strike.
Go fetch, Bringo!
Ever tried to call a company’s 800-number, only to get stuck in a maze of options? Press “1″ for customer service, “3″ for Spanish and “4″ for “I’ve lost my patience”? (And while I’m on the subject, why don’t those phone trees ever use option “2″? Is that some kind of software glitch?)
Don’t come crying
There are two kinds of travelers who will be affected by the possible flight attendants strike at Northwest Airlines, which could get underway any day now, if reports are to be believed.
Kicked out of the inn
Lewis Gutman has a confirmed reservation at the Residence Inn, but he’s in for an unpleasant surprise when he arrives: There’s no room for him. It turns out that some other guests extended their stay. Gutman is sent to another hotel of lesser quality. Is he entitled to anything else?
This time there’s a body
“Man overboard” is becoming an increasingly common cry on cruises these days. Well, no one actually screams “man overboard” but the next day, when the Coast Guard vessels are out combing the waters, the headlines sure do.
I’m not the Piano Man
I’m a reluctant traveler. Not because I’m afraid of flying or weary of being prodded and wanded by Transportation Security Administration screeners.
I don’t like to leave L.A. because I’m a dead ringer for Billy Joel.
Traveling back east — especially to New York — is the worst. I can’t make it through the terminal at J.F.K. [...]
Fake travel site warning
Watch where you click. That travel site with the too-good-to-be-true deals could be bogus. That’s what 3,000 British travelers are discovering after several fake sites were discovered by authorities.
A chipped windshield scam
What could be dumber than charging car rental customers thousands of dollars for damage they weren’t responsible for (a scam I’ve written about numerous times in this blog)? Bragging to your friends about it.